Sarapis was actually a
composite god, part Greek and part Egypt, and his cult not only spread across
Egypt but the entire Mediterranean area. Soon, it would seem, every Greek city
was building its own Sarapeion. The god even came to be worshiped in Rome,
where he eventually became a major deity.
Of course, this mixed well with the ancient Egyptian
religion. Solar worship was one of Egypt's most ancient cults. Ruffians, who was
actually a Christian and showed no indulgence towards pagan cults
The base of Pompey's Pillar looks somewhat precarious
and yet, the pillar has survived ancient earthquakes that demolished many of
the Alexandria's ancient monuments such as the Pharos Lighthouse. In fact, Pompey's
Pillar is the only ancient monument left standing in Alexandria. The pillar
has, for many centuries, been a landmark of Alexandria
There are also remains of the Sarapeion underground. Sarapis, as mentioned
above, was linked to the Apis bull that was especially revered at Memphis. Of course, the most famous remaining
monument to these animals are the subterranean galleries at Saqqara, but at the Serapeion in Alexandria, two such galleries have also been
cleared. An oratory had been installed at the back of one of these, in which a
life-size statue of Apis in black basalt had been placed. The dedication, which
bears the name of Hadrian, can now be examined in the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria.
Regrettably, there is little to be seen in these galleries, as most of the
finds are now in Museums.